Credits: Biovision -Infonet
Biological methods of plant protection. The most important disease on passion fruit is brown spot (Alternaria passiflorae) on leaves, vines and fruits.
Phytophthora blight (Phytophthora nicotianae) causes the wilting of shoot tips and crown rot, particularly where water stagnates occasionally.
Septoria spot, caused by the fungus Septoria passiflorae, causes extensive spotting of leaf and fruit, and occasionally of the stem. Yellow passion fruit and its hybrids are more tolerant to these diseases.
Fusarium wilt (also called collar rot) is caused by the soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. passiflorae; the shoots wilt, followed by a complete collapse of the plant. Grafting to wilt-resistant yellow passion fruit rootstocks is the most practical way of control.
Damping-off caused by Rhizoctonia solani and Pythium spp. can be a problem in nurseries and soils should be sterilised.
A number of virus diseases have been reported, notably passion fruit woodiness potyvirus (PWV). They are spread by aphids (Aphis gossypii and Myzus persicae) and pruning knives.
Other virus diseases are ringspot from Cote d’Ivoire, which is similar to PWV.
The most practical control is to use clean planting material, clean pruning tools and resistant hybrids, or rootstocks of yellow passion fruit.